Malfoy's Move
by scarlettcat
Summary: It takes Granger's moving day for Draco to finally make his move.


A/N: My prompt was Moving Day.

"So, I heard today is the day," said Blaise, walking up to Draco, who was standing outside Hermione's office. "Granger's moving to America."

Draco's eyes narrowed at his friend. "You heard wrong. Granger's not going anywhere," he said stubbornly, returning his gaze to Hermione's closed door.

"Don't tell me you finally told her you're in love with her," said Blaise in surprise.

"No, I haven't told her... yet. But I will. After she calms down."

"What did you do? Tie her up so she couldn't leave?" joked Blaise

When Draco shifted uncomfortably and made no attempt to reply, Blaise burst out laughing. "You didn't, did you?"

Draco glared. "No, I did not. I just cast a very strong confinement spell on her office. I'm going to talk to her as soon as she stops trying to blow up the door."

Blaise cast a one-way revealing charm on Granger's office. Sparks flew as she cast spell after spell at the door.

"It may be a while," said Draco with a sigh. "She knows a lot of spells."

"She looks pissed," Blaise commented.

"Yeah, I thought I might give her a little time to cool off before I broached the subject of my undying love," said Draco, pulling out a bag of sweets from his pocket. "Peppermint Imp?"

Blaise took an Imp and popped it in his mouth. "I told you that you should have told her a long time ago. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and go a little Gryffindor. Cold and calculating only gets you so far."

"So, what are you saying? That I should burst in there while her wand is still blazing and get myself blown up?"

"Nah, you're too late for Gryffindor. You're going to have to Hufflepuff it."

Draco made a face. "What about Ravenclaw?"

"You're seriously going to try to outsmart Hermione Granger?"

"Hufflepuff it is," muttered Draco.

"Now go in there with your tail between your legs and give her the mushiest speech you can think of to woo her over," said Blaise, pushing him to the door.

Luckily, Hermione's nose was stuck in a book when Draco entered her office. Probably trying to find more spells to blow up the door.

"Don't close the door!" exclaimed Hermione when she saw him.

"Um, okay," said Draco, quickly closing the door behind him.

Hermione glared at him. "Why did you do that? I distinctly told you not to close the door."

"Oh, I couldn't hear you. Blaise is out there yacking with your receptionist."

"I've been trying to get out of here all morning. The door is stuck."

Draco pulled on the doorknob. "Oh, bugger," he said in a somewhat monotone voice, his acting not quite up to par. He threw a few half-hearted spells at the door. "Now I guess we're trapped together."

"Maybe a combined Reducto Spell would do the trick," suggested Hermione.

"Sure, we can try that," said Draco with a sigh.

After about fifteen minutes of combined spell casting with Hermione correcting his every move, he finally said, "Look can we take a break from trying to blow up the door for a minute? I really need to talk to you."

"But if I don't get out of here soon, I'm going to miss my Portkey and miss my chance to Reducto the balls off whoever is responsible for this."

Draco cringed. "Maybe whoever is responsible for this had a really good reason."

"Like what?" asked Hermione with her hands on her hips.

"Maybe it's someone who doesn't want you to go to America. Did you think of that?"

"Is it Geoffrey Hooper from the Goblin Liaison Office? Does he want my job?"

"It's not Geoffrey Hooper. It's... me. I don't want you to go to America."

"You want my job?"

"No," said Draco exasperatedly. "I want you. I've been trying to tell you for months now, but I haven't had the courage. I'm in love with you. I don't want you to go."

"You're responsible for this?" said Hermione in a scary quiet voice, drawing her wand on him. "I have been trapped in my office, screaming myself silly all morning... because of you."

Draco backed away from her. "I think you missed the most important part of my confession. I love you. I did all of this for love."

"You are so in love with me that you can't bear to be without me for a frigging week?" Hermione snapped.

"A week?"

"A week. One measly little week. What is wrong with you?"

"But I thought you got a promotion, and you were going to America."

"I did get a promotion. I'm moving to a bigger office down the hall. Of course, now that I've missed the Portkey for my first big assignment, I'm probably not going anywhere."

"Oh," said Draco, suddenly understanding. He made a mental note to kill Blaise later. After an awkward silence he finally said, "So, you want to get out of here and grab some lunch?"

At the murderous look in her eye, Draco quickly cast a Finite and opened the door. "What am I thinking? You don't have time for lunch, or hexing the balls off anyone. You have a Portkey to catch. Have a nice trip," he said, shoving her out the door. "We can discuss things over drinks when you get back. Perhaps, with a nice bottle of Merlot. Or a cauldron of Calming Draught."

Hermione scowled. Leaning in close, she poked him hard in the chest. "I don't have time to deal with you now, but when I get back, you're mine." Whirling away from him, she angrily stomped off down the corridor toward the Portkey Office.

Draco was still watching her when his friend approached him.

"So, how did it go?" asked Blaise.

"She totally wants me."

"Dead or alive?" Blaise quipped.

Draco glared at his friend. "Probably dead thanks to you."

Blaise shrugged. "Slytherin, remember? Besides, if I hadn't tricked you, you would have never made your move."

"Lot of good it did me," grumbled Draco.

"Well, how was I supposed to know you were going to trap her in her office and totally piss her off."

Draco raised his eyebrow at him. "Slytherin, remember?"

"Well, at least she has a week to cool off, and we have a week to plot your next move."

"I already have my next move. I'm sending her flowers."

"Hufflepuff," coughed Blaise into his hand.

"Shut up," said Draco, giving him a shove. "You're the one who told me to go all Hufflepuff in the first place."

"I didn't mean lame-ass Hufflepuff. Do you really think roses are going to cut it with Granger?"

"Oh, I'm not sending roses," said Draco, looking proud of himself. "Ever heard of a Mimbulus mimbletonia?"

"Yes," said Blaise, giving him a funny look. "Have you?"

"I heard Longbottom talking about what a rare plant it is. I'm going to send one to Granger as a peace offering. What do you think?"

"I think you should have payed better attention in Herbology."

"What? It's unique, expensive and nerdy. Granger's going to be all over it."

"More like it's going to be all over her," Blaise muttered under his breath, remembering how the plant had covered the entire Herbology class in Stinksap. Draco must have been skiving off that day.

"What?"

"I said more like she's going to be all over you," said Blaise, clapping him on the back. "If this doesn't get her attention, I don't know what will."

"Do you think I should include a sappy note with it?"

"Nah, I think it will be plenty sappy on its own," said Blaise. trying to hold back his smirk.

* * *

A week later, Draco walked into Blaise's office and slumped down in the chair across from his desk. "Well, as you probably know, my plan completely blew up. In Granger's face."

"Sorry, man," said Blaise, letting out a snort. "I couldn't help myself. Slytherin, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember," said Draco, glaring at him.

"So, what's your next move?"

"I think the real question is... what's your next move?" replied Draco, giving him a calculating look.

"Huh?"

Before Blaise could inquire further, a Ministry airplane flew into his office and landed on his desk. Blaise read the office memo and frowned. "I'm being transferred. To Siberia?"

"I already put a request in for your office. It's more strategically placed next to Granger's new office. More opportunities for me to 'accidentally' bump into her and win her over with the Malfoy charm."

"You got me transferred to Siberia just so you could have my office?" said Blaise incredulously.

Draco smirked. "No, that was just a bonus. I got you transferred for revenge. Slytherin, remember?"


End file.
